Mediaboss Marketing

Forget the memes. According to broker Teresa Boardman, if youve been around real estate for any length of time, you know that the only thing you can expect is the unexpected.

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There have been a lot of predictions about the economy and the housing market as home sales decline. There isnt much good news in the housing market right now.

Most of the predictions will be wrong, but partly right. The housing market is changing but it isnt the same everywhere. In some markets, houses are still selling with multiple offers and prices are still rising, while other markets are experiencing more of a buyers market.

So far I havent heard or read anything that indicates that home sales will rise and everyone with a real estate license will have enough work or that housing will become more affordable.

There is a reason why the real estate sales force is made up of mostly independent contractors. There have been layoffs in the industry but independent contractors do not have to worry about being laid off. Most of the people who work in real estate work for small, private companies.

There are some memes going around on social media showing a Realtor relaxing with a cocktail while other agents are stressed out. She is calm because she was an agent during the last buyers market.

Is there going to be a buyers market? It sure doesnt look that way where I am right now. If the market does change so that it favors buyers, will it be just like the last buyers market or will it be different in some important ways? Can there be a recession when unemployment rates are so low?

We all know people who started in real estate during the housing market crash and were successful because of it. There were real estate agents and companies that had their best years ever during the Great Recession and have continued to grow ever since.

During that same recession, there were people who quit real estate and started new jobs and built new businesses. Some retired early and some went into property management as more properties became rentals. Others bought up foreclosures and rented them out. Some went into foreclosure sales.

There are always opportunities in real estate. The real estate industry and market look very different than they did during the housing market crash, the Great Recession and the last buyers market. One of the biggest differences this time around is that homeowners have equity and unemployment is low.

Those of us who worked through the Great Recession and housing market crash and pandemic lockdowns and civil unrest certainly gained experience and honed our survival skills, but we are no more prepared for the next market than the agents who started last year are.

Newer agents may be better off than some more experienced practitioners. Experience has taught us about all of the things that can go wrong. We have seen people fail and maybe even experienced some failure ourselves.

When the pandemic began none of us knew exactly how we would get through it. Most never imagined the buying frenzy after the brief slowdown at the beginning of the pandemic.

During the pandemic, we had to learn how to do things differently, and we had to learn it quickly. The learning curve was steep and the window of experimentation was small.

The business has been in a state of emergency ever since, with buyers making offers as soon as houses come on the market. They want to see them first, which can be challenging with no overlapping appointments allowed because of the pandemic. During the spring buying frenzy, houses would be booked with back-to-back appointments and there were waiting lists.

Housing prices continued to rise after the summer of 2020. If the people who had decided tomove away from the cityhad waited a few more months they would have gotten significantly more for their homes. Some would be better off living in the city now that they have to commute to work.

News of layoffs and downsizing in the industry is interesting and informative but it might not be as important to the average agent or team of agents as what is going on in the agents local market. Real estate is local.

The people who seem to do the best when the market changes are willing to try new things. They dont do the same things everyone else is doing, they come up with innovative ways to market and work. They dont focus on how things used to be. They take risks.

An agent who experienced the last major market shift probably isnt relaxed at all. She knows what it is like when the housing market changes and it isnt always pretty. There will be winners and losers.

There are opportunities that we cant see right now and trends that are in their infancy but that will ultimately change the way we do business.

Maybe real estate agents wont be replaced by the internet or by robots or maybe they will be. Now might be the perfect time to buy a real estate robot and train it.

I dont think new agents who have joined in the last couple of years are at a disadvantage. In fact, I think they may have more enthusiasm, energy and creativity. Thats good news for them and good news for the future of the industry.

Read more here:
Your prediction about the housing market is probably wrong - Inman

Programming note: Money Stuff will be off tomorrow and Monday, back on Tuesday.

Digital World Acquisition Corp. is a special-purpose acquisition company that has signed a deal to merge with Trump Media & Technology Group Corp., which runs Donald Trumps Truth Social network,and take it public.Like most SPACs, DWAC has a time limit to complete its deal: Its corporate charter says that, if it has not completed a merger by Sept. 8 next Thursday it has to close up shop and return its money to shareholders. It is definitely not going to complete itsmerger with TMTGby next Thursday. (The main holdup is that the US Securities and Exchange Commission needs to review and sign off on the proxy statement for that merger; the SEC has various questions.) Actually DWAC can extend that deadline by six months, if its sponsors put up some more money, but six months probably isnt enough either.So DWAC has asked its shareholders for a longer extension: It has asked them to vote to approve an amendment to its charter to extend the deadline by a year to Sept. 8, 2023. The vote will be held at an online special meeting of shareholders next Tuesday, Sept. 6, two days before the current deadline.

The rest is here:
The Trump SPAC Needs More Time - Bloomberg

According to new research, Wyoming has the worst broadband coverage in America, and neighboring states Idaho and Montana are not much better.

Experts at Uswitch analyzed all 50 states and found that Wyoming has the most internet blackspots, with 10.28% of the states population not having access to ADSL, cable, or fibre connections.

Idaho and Montana ranked as the second and fourth worst for coverage, with population blackout percentages of 8.64% and 6.83%, respectively.

Wyoming also has the third slowest broadband in the U.S. behind Idaho and New Mexico, with speeds reaching an average of 20.31 megabits per second,

Deleware has the fastest download speed,with speeds reaching an average of 59.48 Mbps.

For the full study, visit: https://www.uswitch.com/broadband/studies/the-us-broadband-index/

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Wyoming Has the Worst Broadband Coverage in America, Study Says - Kgab

Hello, my fellow search industry friends.

I hope this article can help distract you for a few minutes and give you some respite while reminding you that not all elements of your search engine marketing (SEM) accounts are the same and thus need different measurements.

For those that watch, follow, and/or troll my Twitter account, youve seen me on #ppcchat bashing things like Pmax, Auto-Apply Recommendations, and Google Analytics 4 (GA4).

(Thats in addition to my usual rants about the New York Jets and social commentary on the Real Housewives franchises.)

But after 17+ years in the SEM industry, I can no longer be silent about a topic that has been bugging me for a long time: being able to identify reputable SEM marketers vs. the dime-a-dozen hacks that also exist.

Full disclosure: I am not a guru (I truly hate that term), nor am I the best thing since sliced bread in the SEM industry.

But Ive been around long enough to identify what it takes to build a great SEM team while also identifying those who likely lack the skills and might cause you more pain than they will help you.

But Jon, why should I listen to you?

Well, what makes me qualified to tell you what you should be looking for in an SEM team (or even just an individual) is subjective.

I feel somewhat qualified to provide insight, having worked in search marketing for 65% of the industrys existence (as an independent consultant and at some of the biggest agencies in the world). Ive presented at industry conferences, written articles (like the one youre reading now), and even have some awards (even a trophy, see the 9-year-old one below).

When I first entered the industry as an intern (before I was hired full-time in 2005), the number of agencies across the U.S. doing this type of work (and publicizing it) was fewer than 50.

In 2022, in the small Connecticut city where I live, there are at least eight agencies, multiple in-house operations, and more than a dozen freelancers/consultants.

So, the demand has risen, as have the skillsets. And with it, so has the number of operations/folks in the industry doing the bare minimum (or even less).

Depending on your situation, there are several variables here. Typically, you go one of three routes (there are other types as well, but much rarer), with overlap and differences between them.

Once you identify which of the three you are hiring for, you must decide what level of experience you need (in years, not trial by fire experience, though that should also be taken into account).

Typically fresh out of school/college, no experience within the industry.

Important: If youre looking for a freelancer or consultant, never hire someone at this level.

Only tap into these if youre building an in-house team or building up your agency team.

Some experience, usually under two years of hands-on work. This is likely their second or third gig since getting into the industry.

Disclaimer: I dont recommend folks hiring freelancers with such little experience. That said, there are occasionally some needles in the haystack, but they are rare.

Once again, I only recommend hiring this level if youre building an in-house team or building up your agency team.

This usually represents a wide range of experience anywhere from 2-10 years with the majority of it being hands-on.

Note: These are often good hires regardless of what operation you are in, and typically, they have the most hands-on experience at this point in their career.

This label often gets applied to individuals in the space for 8+ years. Most of their career to this point is hands-on, but they often give great strategy recommendations as well.

Note: A great hire for any operation, but truly prime for freelancers/consultants.

Truly the saltiest bunch in the space. Id say this typically starts at 12+ years in the industry, and these folks have seen some things.

Note: Great hire for any operation. Likely to be the most expensive freelancers/consultants, but everyone should be able to have some interaction with them.

Once again, this has several variables to it. But here are the things you should know (not applicable for freelancers/consultants):

Having a college degree is nice but not necessary in this day and age.

If you do require a degree, aim for those with one of the following: Marketing, Management, Digital Advertising, Finance, Economics, Data Science, or Math.

Anyone who wants to work with or for you must, at a bare minimum, know how to do a VLookup, Pivot Table, =SUM, =LEN, and Concatenate. Conditional formatting is a plus.

If youre an agency or in-house, and they cant do these, then they likely arent for you.

For anyone looking to build up their skills, I recommend looking into Maven Analytics: great analytics and Excel education operation run by an Excel wizard named Chris Dutton.

This sounds unrelated and weird, but if you cant correctly budget a checkbook, then you cant properly pace an ad budget.

You may only hire them for SEM, but they should be able to think about how it impacts and is impacted by other media and analytics and how that insight can be helpful to one another.

Someone who shows they are adept at note-taking and/or project management.

Having someone confident is great, but having someone with an ego will create problems for you.

They are free to obtain, and someone showing they have at least the search certificate from Google and Bing (I still refuse to call it Microsoft) is great.

It already helps reduce liability for you, as it shows theyve taken the basic training at the very least.

Paid social and self-serve programmatic are very similar to SEM; if someone knows these, they often make good skillset hires.

Part of it really depends on your business size and type, but here is some solid guidance: Make sure the team/individuals working on your business have up-to-date certifications in search at least (analytics, video, display, and Facebook are also great).

If an agency pushes that they are certified beyond just a note on their website, then buyer beware: these are a you should at the very least have this type of thing, not a selling point.

Freelancers and consultants should have them, but you can be more lenient if they tout them vs. an agency.

Having certifications does not make you the best operation out there, but if an agency or freelancer doesnt have them, it tells you that they have failed to do the bare minimum and their knowledge may be questioned.

If an agency (and occasionally a freelancer) is a Bing Elite or Select Partner and/or a Google Premier Partner (rare to have a Bing one without a Google one), it is a plus.

These operations will have more direct access to dedicated search engine reps and other helpful perks like testing betas.

Single-person consultants and freelancers usually do not qualify for these. It isnt a knock against them, but it is a plus if they do have one.

Consider their onboarding approach. This should be a 30/60/90-day game plan and delivered to you when they pitch you. If they dont have one, then accountability quickly goes out the window,

Check references.

It may seem antiquated, but if youre going to pay a lot of money to an operation to manage your advertising funds, you want to ensure they have current or prior satisfied customers.

Some agencies over the years were just hack operations; those who hired them never checked references and now see no return for their payment.

It should go without saying, but people fall for it: Avoid operations or individuals who promise the world at a low price without logic or justification, or if it sounds too good to be true.

Over the years, more than a few shops have done that, from overpromising and underdelivering to lying and misrepresenting themselves. More than a few have been caught, sued, and/or faced federal charges.

Avoid any operation that is not open about or willing to share its start-up and ongoing QA process.

Things happen in this industry; a reactive and ongoing proactive QA process will save headaches and money. If a shop is not open to sharing theirs, I would steer clear.

This is our SEM QA doc. If you want to see the full one, email/tweet me, and Ill gladly share.

For in-house operations, it ultimately comes down to the level of an individual you want.

For entry-level, the requirements are low. Just make sure they can:

If youre hiring for a level above that, youll want to look for:

The red flags of major avoidance are growing every day.

But where to find them and/or how to identify them gets trickier and will take some of your own homework. Some of these are subjective, but youll get the point:

There are many more, but these are the most common issues I run into within the space.

There are various billing methods today; the three most common are commission, hourly/FTE, and retainer.

Now that Ive legitimately scared you, remember that while there are some complete hacks within this industry, there are also many amazing people.

It is all about researching who you hire rather than blindly saying yes to a price.

And please, make sure they know Excel.

More resources:

Featured Image: fizkes/Shutterstock

Read more here:
Picking The Right SEM Operation: Legits Vs. Hacks - Search Engine Journal

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The following is attributable to Spokesperson Ned Price:

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken spoke with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission Josep Borrell today to reaffirm the importance of a successful Seventh Replenishment Conference for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria. President Biden will host the Replenishment Conference September 19, 2022, during the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The United States is committed to helping the Global Fund reach its goal in order to get the world back on track toward ending HIV/AIDS, TB, and malaria and to building resilient and sustainable systems for health. President Biden has signaled that the United States will make a contribution of $2 billion and an intended pledge of $6 billion for the Seventh Replenishment period, demonstrating the United States readiness to match $1 for every $2 contributed by other donors.

Secretary Blinken and High Representative Borrell also discussed their shared commitment to support the Afghan people through Afghanistans ongoing economic and humanitarian crises as well as the importance of working with the broader international community, to support the education of Afghan girls.

See the rest here:
Secretary Blinken's Call with European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice President of the European Commission...